The Jade Sorceress
by Katani-chan
Summary: Hikaru, Fuu, and Umi have once again been summoned to Cephiro, but this time they accidentaly bring along someone else, and it seems she has a secret or two. FINISHED *finally...^_^;*
1. Chapter 1

"Keiko, hang on!"  
  
Hikaru yelled as she, Umi, and Fuu tried to pull the young girl up. She looked to be about 10, though she claimed to be 14, with messy blue hair, bangs, a braid much like Hikaru's, and two locks of hair that hung down from the sides of her face. Her dark purple eyes were angry.  
  
"Let me go! I didn't fall on accident, why can't you accept that I want to-"  
  
Keiko was cut off by a bright light. Hikaru and the others started pulling harder, trying to bring her back onto the bridge before they were transported to Cephiro. Instead, as they were transported, they realized that they had brought Keiko with them.  
  
_Uh oh, Clef isn't gonna like this. Oh well, at least we were able to save her._  
  
Hikaru thought as the giant fish once again brought them to a familiar cliff. Clef was standing in plain sight, and all four of the girls could see his expression at the fact that there were four girls.  
  
"Clef! It's nice to see you again!"  
  
"Hello Hikaru. Who is that?"  
  
Clef pointed at Keiko with his staff. Keiko looked down, embarrassed. She could tell that she wasn't supposed to be there.  
  
"That's Keiko. She had fallen off of the bridge and we were trying to pull her back up when we were summoned. I guess she got dragged along somehow."  
  
"Umi, I didn't fall. How many times have I told you, I wanted to drown."  
  
Keiko whispered it so that Umi was the only one that heard her. Clef sighed.  
  
"What's done is done, and she won't be able to go back until you've completed your task."  
  
Umi sighed.  
  
"What is it this time, Clef?"  
  
Clef told them, while Keiko looked around. Where they were had a good amount of cliffs, she liked that. As soon as they were busy discussing whatever it as that was going on, she'd jump. For the time being she just stood, looking like she was taking in the view. Fuu didn't fall for it.  
  
"Miss Keiko! Please get away from that ledge!"  
  
Hikaru and Umi dragged her over to a tree and forced her to sit down against it.  
  
"Stay there or we'll have to tie you to it."  
  
Keiko nodded, knowing that Umi's threat was not empty. Why couldn't they just leave her alone? Keiko sighed and rested her head against the tree trunk. Clef glanced at her, then returned to talking about the current crises.  
  
"Clef, what'll we do about Keiko? We can't leave her alone, but it would be too dangerous to bring her with us."  
  
"I will watch her until you've completed your task."  
  
"But I thought you prefer being alone?"  
  
"She does not seem like she'd be much trouble, and she doesn't talk too much, so as long as I don't have to keep her from jumping off of a cliff to often, I won't have any trouble."  
  
Keiko stood up, keeping her head down.  
  
"You won't have to worry about that, sir. If I know that you will keep me from doing what I wish to, as those three have done, I will not waste your energy."  
  
Clef nodded.  
  
"Alright. Well girls, you should be going, you have a long way to go."  
  
The magic knights nodded and ran off into the forest. Clef motioned for Keiko to follow him, she nodded and began walking. A few minutes later, a monster emerged from the forest. Keiko instinctively dropped into a defensive pose, bringing her right hand up into the air at the same time. As she drew breath to speak, Clef also prepared to cast a spell. At the same time, a thought struck him.  
  
_What is she doing? She doesn't know any magic!_  
  
As Keiko called out "Lightning ball!" An image superimposed itself over Keiko in Clef's mind. A previous student of his, a young girl, taking that exact pose, shouting in that exact voice. As the monster crumbled Clef shook it from his head as coincidence. That girl, Jayde, had disappeared years ago.

Keiko turned to face Clef with wide, frightened eyes.  
  
"How.... How did I do that? It seemed so familiar, but I can't remember ever doing that before."  
  
"Magic is often like that, though Im wasn't expecting you to be able to do magic, considering that the magic knights didn't know any when they first came to Cephiro."  
  
Keiko nodded, looking of to the side. Clef was used to the submissive behavior and gave her a slight nod before continuing to walk.

Eventually they reached another cliff and Clef stopped. Keiko stood next to him, looking at the sea below. Then she looked at Clef.  
  
"If IO were to jump right now, would you really stop me?"  
  
"Why would you jump?"  
  
"I heard you remind Hikaru and the others that the will is the most powerful force in this world. When they were summoned here, they had been concentrating on keeping me from going over the edge of a bridge. I would like to finish what I was planning to do."  
  
Clef sat, motioning for Keiko to do the same.  
  
"Why did you try to jump in the first place?"  
  
Keiko sighed, she didn't want to tell him, but felt that she had no choice.  
  
"For as long as I can remember, I've felt out of place, as if I don't belong. It's impossible to survive like that, shunned by everyone. I simply couldn't take it anymore."  
  
Clef felt like there was something about this, something that would directly affect him. Sometimes he wished that he was a seer.  
  
"Just how far back ca you remember?"  
  
"I...I don't know. I can remember only up to four years back, when I woke up at an orphanage. Though it's strange, I have flashes of memories of things and places that I've never done or seen before."  
  
Clef nodded. The odd feeling was increasing, but he wasn't sure what it was.  
  
"Do you feel out of place here?"  
  
"Actually.... No, I don't. That's strange."  
  
"Well then, we should keep moving."  
  
Keiko nodded and stood up. As Clef stood, he realized that Keiko would have some trouble traveling in the outfit she was wearing.  
  
"Keiko, hold on. You will not be able to travel in that outfit."  
  
Keiko turned to face Clef with a puzzled look on her face. Clef raised his staff and said the spell. Keiko's school uniform disappeared and streams of purple mist surrounded her, forming into clothing. When it was done, Clef stepped back in surprise. Keiko was wearing a tri-layered cloak, the first layer was solid blue, the second layer was a transparent purple, and the topmost layer was light blue, with an amethyst clasp and a hood. She was also wearing a green tunic with a closed neck and short sleeves. She was also holding a wooden staff with three gems in the top, which was shaped like a bird's head. There was a purple ribbon held on by an amethyst clip on one side. She was also wearing two bracelets, one on the upper part of each arm. Each was a different design.  
  
_Jayde? But, it couldn't be._  
  
Keiko looked at her new clothes.  
  
"Weird, they look like they'd be annoying, but they're actually very comfortable. I thought that I'd just be getting armor. Guess that's just for the magic knights. Thank very much, mister Clef."  
  
Keiko tilted her head.  
  
"That's odd, something's missing. I can't tell what though...How strange."  
  
Clef decided to try something. Before Jayde had disappeared, she had given him her headband but hadn't told him why. 

Clef held out his hand and summoned the headband. It was very simple, a gold band with a jade, cut into a diamond shape, set in the middle of it (Think Presea's headband, but with a large green diamond shaped stone). He handed it to Keiko.  
  
"Put this on."  
  
Keiko looked at it strangely, but put it on, with the jade resting in the middle of her forehead. Instantly, the stone began to glow and Keiko gasped. It dimmed a moment later and Keiko dropped to the ground, using her staff for support. When she stood again, she looked straight at Clef.  
  
_Her eyes, something's different._  
  
Keiko's eyes were no longer fearful and dim, but joyful and bright. She sighed and laughed. Her laugh was quiet and low, the opposite of the high pitched giggle that most girls had.  
  
"Master Clef, thank you for returning my headband. It's been so long. I mean, it's been what, a century? I can't believe how many times my memory was re-blanked and I went to a different orphanage. I thought I was a normal human and couldn't figure out why I didn't seem to age. *sigh* It's good to have my memories back."  
  
"Jayde? Is that really you?"  
  
"Yes, I'm sorry if I worried you, I was gone for such a long time."  
  
"Where were you?"  
  
"I was on Earth, where the magic knights are from."  
  
"How were you able to get there? Only the princess has the power to move people from one world to the other."  
  
"I know, but there are areas, weak spots in whatever keeps our worlds apart. I had discovered one such area. That's why I gave you my headband, into which I put my memories. I didn't know what it would be like on the other side, or if I would ver be able to get back."  
  
Suddenly switching to student-teacher mode, Clef's eyes narrowed.  
  
"That was extremely foolish of you, Jayde."  
  
Jayde dropped her head.  
  
"I realize that, and ask your forgiveness, Master Clef."  
  
"You are forgiven. Now come, it will be night soon, and we need to reach shelter. Cephiro is no longer a safe place."  
  
Jayde nodded and followed her master into the woods, towards a nearby town. She decided not to suggest summoning a creature to make the trip shorter, she was savoring being back, and knowing that she was home after a century on an alien planet.


	2. Chapter 2

Jayde stretched and yawned, blinking in the morning light that was streaming in through the window. Last night they had stopped at the first inn that they had found. It fortunately had two empty rooms and Clef had paid for the both of them. Jayde stretched again as she got out of bed and walked over to the mirror on the other side f the room. She brushed her hair and fixed her braid, realizing that it almost reached the middle of her back. Jayde grinned and rolled her eyes when she realized that she had slept in her tunic. She slipped on her trousers and fastened the belt. Then she slipped on her tri-layered cloak and fastened the amethyst clasp. She put her headband and bracelets back on, grabbed her staff, and walked downstairs to the main section of the inn, where they served food.

Clef was already down there, and smiled when he saw her.  
  
"Good to see that you're finally awake Jayde."  
  
"Wow, I didn't realize that you had been so worried about me. The last time I saw you smile was when I finally figured out my first original spell, jade ball."  
  
Clef motioned for her to sit on the stool next to him.  
  
"Indeed. Of course you do realize that most sorceresses aren't able to do that. They simply use their masters' spells or variations. It's rare for a sorceress to create her own spell, and even rarer for one so young."  
  
Jayde smiled and winked.  
  
"I'll be 200 in a week. Hard to believe that I spent half of my life on Earth."  
  
Clef nodded.  
  
"Well, shall we be going, or would you like to eat something first?"  
  
Jayde grinned.  
  
"Well, since I know you hate noise I should probably eat or my stomach will be rumbling all day.  
  
Clef couldn't help a grin.  
  
"Well, here's the menu. Don't order anything too expensive though, I don't have a lot of money."  
  
Jayde nodded and ordered a bowl of soup and some tea. Clef only ordered tea. After they ate they left, once again walking silently through the forest. As they walked Jayde almost laughed as she realized something. If it were almost anyone other than herself walking with Clef, they would probably be intimidated by his silence. Of course, most people preferred talking and noise, that was one trait that she shared with Clef, a preference for peace and quiet.

Just as the edge of the forest came into view, Jayde and Clef sensed something behind them. Jayde signaled to Clef to keep moving. She held up her staff and looked at the reflection in the main stone. She only caught a glimpse of their pursuer, but was able to figure out what was following them.  
  
"Master Clef, did you know that gremlins often hide behind trees?"  
  
Clef looked at Jayde, realizing what she meant.  
  
"Yes. In fact, I believe I told you that. I am your master, after all."  
  
Jayde almost objected, but thought the better of it and nodded.  
  
"Of course, Master Clef."  
  
Clef raised his staff.  
  
"Lightning ball, come forth!"  
  
Jayde heard the small explosion and glanced back once to make sure that the monster had been destroyed. She nodded at Clef and they continued walking. As they walked, Jayde reflected on their odd little code. They had created it after only a couple years of She being Clef's student. She had realized that if they were traveling and someone was following them, they couldn't share ideas about what to do about it without their pursuer knowing that they had sensed him. Clef had thought up most of it, but Jayde had come up with the core words, such as Clef being Oak and her being sapling, or referring to the both of them as trees, monsters were gremlins, other people were faeries, and friends were birds.

After they had left the woods they had begun walking on a dusty dirt road. They were still walking on that road when they heard a horse coming up behind them. Clef held up his staff.  
  
"A green bird flies this way. You would not recognize the species, Jayde."  
  
Jayde nodded and they both turned to face the traveler.

Ferio almost fell off of the horse as he tried to stop it.  
  
_Either they don't realize how creepy that is, or they do it on purpose._  
  
"Hello Master Mage Clef. I wouldn't have expected to see you traveling out here. Hey, who's she, your new student?"  
  
"Actually, she is an old student, newly returned to me."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Jayde smiled, her master could be awfully annoying when he wanted.  
  
"He means, I've been missing for the past hundred years, and just recently was able to get back to Cephiro."  
  
"That didn't help much, kid. How could you not have been in Cephiro? Only the magic knights go back and forth."  
  
"Long story short, I found a weak spot in the divider between worlds, broke through, lost most of my memories, attempted suicide, the magic knights found me before I could, and they were summoned here while they were pulling me back onto the bridge."  
  
"Wow, that's an awfully big adventure for a little girl."  
  
Jayde swung her staff and hit Ferio rather hard with the beak end of it.  
  
"I am almost 200 years old. You are the child here."  
  
"Ow! Hey, sorry, it's just that you look really young, like maybe ten. Though, you are probably a couple inches taller than Clef."  
This time Ferio found two new lumps, another from Jayde and one from Clef.

Jayde arched an eyebrow at Clef.  
  
"He's a friend?"  
  
"Yes, just not a very bright one."  
  
"I see. Well, do you have anything more to say, or would you rather leave now, and not risk the chance of any more new lumps?"  
  
"You're cruel. You might want to be careful around the magic knights, they might think that you're a bad guy."  
  
Ferio rode off before she could hit him again.  
  
_Note to self: try not to talk to sorceresses who carry staffs with beaks._  
  
Jayde rolled her eyes and she and Clef continued walking. Thinking about what Ferio said, Jayde paused, realizing something.  
  
"Master Clef, how old are the magic knights?"  
  
"I believe that they are somewhere around seventeen years old."  
  
"They're so young."  
  
"Yes, when they were first summoned to save Cephiro they were only fourteen."  
  
"That's not good."  
  
"Yes, I know."  
  
"No, you don't quite get it. You think in the terms of strength and courage. Obviously they have plenty of those things. I am thinking in the emotional aspect. They're very young, even by their scale."  
  
"They have not had severe emotional trouble in the past."  
  
"Yes, but think of who they were fighting. Monsters, which are obviously bad, and people who were obviously bad and chose to be that way, which would be like choosing to die in the near future."  
  
"And how is this relevant?"  
  
"You were telling them about what they were up against earlier. I was near enough that I could hear you. This time they will have to fight, defeat, and possibly destroy innocent people who are being controlled. They may be the magic knights, but that doesn't erase the fact that they are still young girls."  
  
"That may be true, but you still haven't explained why you are bringing this up."  
  
"Think about it, Clef. They will all be going through the same things, with only each other to support them if they have a hard time handling it. I want to help them. I know that they should probably do this themselves, but I would still like to be there for them. They did keep me from drowning myself, after all."  
  
"Jayde, as you said, they should do this on their own. I can see why you would like to help them, but it would be best if you didn't."  
  
"Then, master, I am sorry but I must go against your wishes. I will help them. Creature, I summon thee!"  
  
Jayde jumped onto the back of her giant hawk, and it took off, heading in the direction that Clef had sent the magic knights. Clef sighed as he remembered why Jayde had caused him a good number of headaches when he had trained her. She would obey him, but if she thought that something would be better accomplished a different way, there was no stopping her from trying it. Things had often backfired on her, but at least she had learned from it, after she woke up. Clef summoned his griffin and decided to follow her. He still felt that she was his responsibility, she had never actually finished her apprenticeship with him.

Jayde had been flying for over two hours when she finally found them, eating lunch in a clearing in a forest.  
Why_ are there so many forests around here?_  
  
Jayde landed, causing the magic knights to scream before seeing who it was. Hikaru ran over to her.  
  
"Keiko, what are you doing here? Is Clef hurt?"  
  
Jayde laughed.  
  
"Hikaru, calm down. Master Clef is fine, if a little annoyed with me for disobeying him. I wanted to help you."  
  
Umi moved Hikaru out of the way.  
  
"Keiko, where'd you get that outfit and staff?"  
  
Fuu also moved closer to her.  
  
"Yes, and I'm afraid that you wouldn't be able to help us, you can't use magic and don't know how to use a weapon."  
  
Jayde laughed again.  
  
"Magic knights, I am sorry for not properly reintroducing myself. I am Jayde, current apprentice to the Master Mage Clef. You knew me as Keiko, before I arrived here and regained my memories."  
  
"What? But how is that possible?"  
  
"I discovered a weak spot in the divider between our worlds, and crossed though it. I lost my memories and have lived on your planet earth for almost a century. Every four years, my memory was blanked and I'd find myself at another orphanage. If that hadn't happened, I would have most likely been killed, because I did not age. Eventually, being away from my world began to affect me, and I became suicidal. I must thank you for not letting me drown myself."  
  
The magic knights blinked.  
  
"That's...really weird Keiko."  
  
"I told you, my name is Jayde."  
  
A loud flapping was heard and Jayde held up her staff, whispering "Invisible shield." Suddenly, Jayde faded from sight, just as Clef walked over to the magic knights. He seemed to look intently at nothing for awhile, finally reaching out and grabbing at air, which instantly turned into Jayde's hood.  
  
"Jayde, I was the one who taught you that spell. Obviously I can see through it."  
  
Jayde almost laughed at the pun, but decided not to, Clef looked pretty angry.  
  
"I'm sorry master, but I told you, I will help them. The only way that you could stop would be to send me back to Earth."  
  
"And have you kill yourself? I think not. A century away from home is more than anyone should go through."  
  
Jayde's, along with the magic knights', jaw dropped.  
  
"Master Clef, are you feeling alright? That was oddly sentimental, not a trait of yours that I am aware of."  
  
clef let go of Jayde's hood and put his hand up to his forehead.  
  
"Ugh, Jayde of all the students I've ever taught, you are the only one that can cause a headache so easily."  
  
Jayde was confused by that last remark, it didn't seem to have anything to do with his scolding. She helped him sit down on a rock.  
  
"Wow, Master Clef. I had no idea that my disappearance had caused you so much stress. My apologies, Master."  
  
"There's no need to apologize, Jayde. I believe that the tea I drank this morning was bad."  
  
Jayde simply nodded and walked over to the campfire. She summoned a kettle, two mugs, and two teabags. She filled the kettle with water from a nearby stream and waited for it to boil. Umi, Hikaru, and Fuu watched in silence. Cephiro got stranger every time they visited it. Once the water began boiling, she poured some into each mug and put the teabags in. She once again waited until the tea was ready, then carried the mugs over to the rock that Clef was sitting on. She also dragged a log over, and sat on that after handing Clef one of the mugs. He looked at the mug before drinking.  
  
"You still have these? I remember when you made them, your first attempt at clayworking."  
  
Jayde grinned.  
  
"Yes, they look sloppy, but they hold a good amount of tea. Well, drink it, it should help your headache."  
  
The magic knights were still rather shocked by the recent happenings, but returned to cooking their lunch. 

An hour later Umi, Fuu, and Hikaru were discussing what they would do now, since Jayde and Clef had joined up with them. Jayde was juggling some odd green balls, and Clef had given up trying to stop her. Those were jade balls, Jayde's first original attack. The exploded very easily, and were very powerful. Jayde finally got bored and dispelled the balls, deciding to follow Clef's example and sit in silence. They all heard the horse approaching, but recognizing the sound, Jayde and Clef stayed sitting, while Hikaru, Fuu and Umi stood, swords out. As soon as they saw who was riding the horse, however, they stored their weapons and greeted him.  
  
"Ferio! It's nice to see you again!"  
  
"Hey Ferio. Long time no see."  
  
"Hello mister Ferio."  
  
"Hey Fuu, hey girls."  
  
As Ferio dismounted he saw Jayde and Clef and groaned.  
  
"You guys again? My head still hurts from this morning."  
  
Jayde stood.  
  
"Yes, us. I felt that it would be best if Clef and I helped the magical knights."  
  
Ferio groaned again and looked around.  
  
"Hey, do you guys have any more food? I'm starving."  
  
Hikaru looked around.  
  
"Umm, I think we ate it all. Sorry, Ferio."  
  
Jayde sighed, that boy was a nuisance. She conjured a small plate with different local fruits on it. It was easier for her to conjure local things.  
  
"Here, just shut up, my head's killing me."  
  
Ferio took the food gladly while the magic knights looked at Jayde strangely. They had thought that Clef was the one with the headache.

Jayde sat down next to Clef again and he opened one eye.  
  
"What was that for?"  
  
"It was for making sure he left you alone and annoyed me in case he decided to be immature about this morning."  
  
"Ah. Thank you."  
  
"Don't worry. With him here, it's only a half-truth, not a complete lie."  
  
Clef chuckled quietly and drifted into sleep, Jayde following him soon after.

Ferio had heard the entire conversation and arched an eyebrow, but didn't try to wake them up.  
  
_Man, those two are weird. I wonder if all powerful mages and sorceresses act like they do? _

When Jayde woke up, it was dusk. Clef was still asleep. Jayde noticed that Clef was sweating, and began to worry. She would have been cold if it weren't for her cloak. She carefully put her hand on his forehead.  
He_ has a fever. Wonderful, just wonderful. Normal healing spells don't work on fevers and Clef never taught me the spell to reduce fever. Ok mind, time to get to work on another spell. Oh, I hope this one doesn't backfire._  
  
Jayde tried to think, but couldn't, so she took in steps.  
  
_Okay, what's my specialty element? Earth. Okay, what's my secondary? Water. Much better. Aha! Got it!_  
  
Jayde touched Clef's forehead with her first and middle fingers.  
  
"Healing spring."  
BA blue light swirled out from the point of contact until it covered Clef's entire forehead. Jayde concentrated and held it until she felt Clef's temperature return to normal. She broke contact, ending the spell. clef stirred, blinked once, and looked at Jayde.  
  
"Good, it worked. I was afraid it would backfire."  
  
"What? Oh no, you didn't test out a new spell on me, did you?"  
  
"I had to. You had a fever and you never taught me the fever-reducing spell. I even had to use my secondary because I couldn't think of any way that the earth element would be useful."  
  
Clef sat up straight.  
  
"You used your secondary to make a new spell, and it worked?"  
  
"Well, since you are able to scold me then yes, it worked perfectly."  
  
Clef leaned back against the tree.  
  
"You're a lot stronger then I remember."  
  
"Apparently. Master Clef, you should still rest. That was a pretty bad fever, I had to hold the spell for at least four minutes and it decreased your temperature pretty quickly."  
  
Clef nodded and closed his eyes again. Jayde sat for a little while longer, then got up and walked over to the magic knights.  
  
"Umm, Hikaru?"  
  
"What is it Jayde?"  
  
"Do you have a spare tent? Clef needs to sleep, and I'm too weak to conjure anything at the moment."  
  
Umi looked at Jayde.  
  
"What happened? Why does Clef need to sleep?"  
  
"I just cured him of a rather severe fever and ant him to sleep to make sure that it doesn't come back."  
  
Now Fuu was interested.  
  
"You can cast healing spells?"  
  
"Yeah, normal ones, and those don't cure fever. I had to create a new spell on the spot, not something that I particularly like to do. Newly created spells are rather draining, especially ones of the strength level that this one was."  
Hikaru jumped up.  
  
"I'll be right back with tents for you and Clef."  
  
"Thank you Hikaru."  
  
Hikaru returned a couple minutes later, looking sheepish.  
  
"We only have one spare tent. Ferio already told us that he can sleep outside without trouble, so you and Clef will have to share."  
Hikaru looked like she was about to blush.  
  
"Hikaru, you are weird. I can sleep outside without trouble, it's just Clef that I'm worried about. Thank you for the tent."  
  
"You're welcome Jayde."  
  
Jayde walked back over to near where Clef had once again fallen asleep. She set the tent up and then checked Clef's forehead, it was still normal. She smiled and carefully removed his cloak, she figured that it couldn't be comfortable to sleep in. She carefully folded it and put it in the tent. Then she removed her cloak and took off the amethyst clasp. She put the clasp in her pocket and put the two inner layers down on the bottom of the tent, then carefully carried Clef over and laid him down on it, using his cloak for a pillow. Then she took the last layer of her cloak and laid it on top of him for a blanket. Jayde knew that it got pretty cold at night around here. Once she was sure that he was still asleep she closed the tent and walked back over to the campfire.   
  
"Jayde?"  
  
"What Hikaru?"  
  
"Wow, I almost didn't recognize you. You look different without your cloak."  
  
"It gets cold around here, so I'm letting Master Clef borrow my cloak."  
  
"But won't you get cold?"  
  
"Cold doesn't really bother me."  
  
Hikaru nodded, but she didn't really believe Jayde, neither did the rest of the knights or Ferio.  
  
_Oh please, the little brave act. 'I will suffer so that my master will sleep comfortably' what is she on? I thought she was smarter than that._  
  
Suddenly, Ferio felt someone watching him. He looked around and saw that Jayde's eyes were narrowed and she was staring straight at him. Suddenly, he heard a voice in his head.  
  
_Please do not broadcast your thoughts so loudly. I can block out quiet or faraway thoughts, but you are four feet from me and doing the equivalent of shouting. It's very annoying._  
  
Ferio's eyes widened  
  
_You're a telepath?_  
  
_Somewhat. I can only speak, not send images or move things. I have mastered the very basics and plan on learning no more._  
  
_Oh. So, you like Clef?_  
  
_He is my master._  
  
_That doesn't answer my question._  
  
But Ferio could tell that she wasn't listening anymore. Jayde yawned and stood up.  
  
"I'm going to sleep. See you in the morning."  
  
She smiled at the knights but glared at Ferio. Umi looked at him.  
  
"What was that about Ferio?"  
"Oh, we ran into each other this morning. I don't know what I said, but it made her really mad and she hit me with her staff a couple of times. Clef even hit me once, when I said that she was probably a couple inches taller than him."  
  
"You idiot."  
  
"What?"  
  
Fuu interrupted before it turned into a shouting match.  
  
"Clef dislikes comments about his height. Apparently Jayde also dislikes such comments."  
  
"Oh. I guess she didn't much like being called a little girl either."  
  
Umi cheered sarcastically.  
  
"Tada! We have a genius!"  
  
Ferio just rolled his eyes and walked off a little ways to try to fall asleep. He saw Jayde, trying to do...something. He walked over to her.  
  
"What do you want, Ferio?"  
  
"Wha? How did you...? Never mind. What're you doing?"  
Jayde sighed.  
  
"Trying to summon a tent, but I' still exhausted from that fever spell. I swear, if it had been any one other than Master Clef, I wouldn't have bothered using so much energy but without him you guys would be dead and I'd have been driven insane by your and the knights' need to talk."  
  
"What do you mean by that?"  
  
"By nature, humans are social creatures. And for those of us who aren't, putting up with you can be torture."  
  
Ferio shrugged and found a comfortable place to sleep. Jayde gave up trying to summon anything and curled up in the nest of tree roots formed by the tree that she and Clef had been sitting under earlier that day.

Sometime around midnight Clef woke up. He carefully made his way out of the tent, glad that he had slept, he still felt weak.  
  
_That spell works well, but leaves both people drained._  
  
Clef used his staff for support as he looked around. The fire was now just dying embers, and he could only see three tents. He kept looking and saw Ferio, propped up against a tree near the fire, sound asleep. Then, looking behind him, he saw Jayde. She was curled up into a ball at the base of a tree, wearing only her tunic and pants. Realizing where his blankets had come from, he took he top layer and laid it over Jayde, who uncurled slightly. 


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning Jayde woke up and tried to stretch. She couldn't.   
  
_Oh great, I'm all stiff and I can't even move. Ugh, where's Clef? I hope he wakes up soon._  
  
Soon, Clef came out of the tent and looked over at Jayde. Her eyes were open and it was obvious that she was awake, but she wasn't moving.  
  
"Master Clef, could you please help? I can't move."  
  
Clef chuckled.  
  
"Remember that one night when you decided to sleep outside? What did I tell you to do that time?"  
"Oh yeah! Sorry Master Clef."  
  
"It's alright."  
  
Clef stood and waited for Jayde to get up. She muttered something under her breath, a warming spell, and she got up pretty soon after that.  
  
"Thank you for the reminder Master Clef."  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
Jayde got the fire going again and breakfast was almost finished cooking by the time the others woke up. Ferio arched an eyebrow.  
  
"I see you can summon things again."  
  
"Shut up Ferio."  
  
Clef looked at Jayde.  
  
"What was that about?"  
  
"Ugh, nothing. It's just that last night after that fever spell I couldn't even summon a tent. That is not a spell I'll be using much."  
  
"Yes, it's obviously very powerful, but draining to both sides."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes, unless that fever was worse than I thought."  
  
"Well, according to how they grade a fever on earth, I'm guessing that it was probably somewhere 103."  
  
"What does that mean?"  
  
"It's a temperature. The normal temperature is somewhere around 98, 100 is bad, and anything above 105 is considered life-threatening."  
  
Clef nodded and then looked at breakfast. Jayde realized that it was almost burnt. She quickly took it off of the flame and began serving it. After breakfast they all packed up and began traveling again. Ferio was teaching Fuu how to ride a horse along the way, and Jayde stood on the side of the horse opposite Ferio in case she fell off that way. Clef walked next to her, and she could tell that he was still using his staff for support. Of course, she was completely oblivious to the fact that she was doing the exact same thing. Once, Fuu did fall towards Jayde, and she moved to catch her. Jayde almost hit the ground, but Clef caught her. Jayde helped Fuu back onto the horse and thanked Clef for stopping her from falling. Clef nodded and they kept walking. As they kept walking Clef realized that he was feeling just as weak as he had last night. Looking at Jayde, he was surprised that she had been able to summon much of anything, she was looking terrible. He moved to walk next to her, instead of slightly behind.  
  
"Jayde, what was the spell that you used on me?"  
  
"Its called healing spring."  
  
"What were the parameters you put on it?"  
  
"Fever reduction, bringing it down rapidly. It's up to the caster to cut the spell though."  
  
"What did you do to create it exactly? I think you may have done something wrong with it. I still feel drained and it's obvious that you do too."

Ferio had decided to sit behind Fuu on the horse to make sure that she didn't fall off again. He had noticed that both Clef and Jayde looked really tired. Then, when they started discussing the spell, he became interested and started listening closely. When they got into the technical details, he got lost until he heard Clef make a startled noise and Jayde groan.  
  
"Oh no, I can't believe I did that. How could I have missed that?"  
  
"It healed the fever, but it's also a leaching spell. I can understand how you meant to attach the leech to the water element, but accidentally didn't. It is only your secondary after all."  
  
"I'm sorry Master Clef."  
  
"Don't worry. This sort of leech is easy to dispel. Besides, it's not hard to correct the leech within the spell either. And once that's finished, you'll have created what is probably one of the most powerful, and easy to use, healing spells in existence."  
Jayde beamed at the last comment, and Ferio almost fell off the horse.  
  
_One of the most powerful healing spells? And she's still an apprentice? I don't know a lot about magic and creating spells, but I know enough to tell that she's really good._  
  
Clef took care of the leech while they were walking, and he and Jayde were once again walking in silence. Ferio couldn't believe it. An apprentice had just created a great spell, and they acted like it didn't even happen? Most apprentices would at least be celebrating. Then he noticed Jayde looking at him with an arched eyebrow, her face seeming to say 'I already told you, I'm not most people'. Ferio returned his concentration to guiding the horse. Jayde faced ahead and whispered to Clef.  
  
"Do oaks like to allow butterflies to rest in their branches?"  
  
"Butterflies?"  
  
_Branches is in reference to using my staff, oak is me, so it's using my staff for something._  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, do trees allow their branches to be sat on by birds who ride the wind?"  
  
This time it was cryptic, but he understood.  
  
_trees means us, branches is our staffs, birds are friends, and they ride the wind, magic. She wants to know if we can summon our creatures to make the trip a bit faster._  
  
"Not on days when the insects are just gone."  
  
Jayde was confused, insect didn't mean anything. Then she got it.  
  
_Duh! The leech effects haven't completely worn off yet._  
  
"Perhaps when the trees have recovered from the infestation?"  
  
Jayde could see Clef try not to chuckle at that, and nodded.  
  
"Yes, perhaps."

Ferio saw that Fuu looked like she was trying to figure something out.  
"Infestation, insects...Leech! That would mean that trees means them.... but what are birds, and what do branches and wind have to do with anything?"  
  
"What are you talking about, Fuu?"  
  
"Weren't you listening to Jayde and Clef?"  
  
"Yeah, she was wondering about what kinds of trees birds like to sit in."  
  
"No, Ferio. That was obviously a code, and not a half bad one."  
  
"Okay...So what were they talking about?"  
  
"I'm not sure, but whatever it is, Clef doesn't want to do it until they've fully recovered from that leech thing."  
  
"So, wouldn't it have to do with magic?"  
  
"Oh, that's right! Let's see then... the birds that ride the wind rest on branches. The birds get support from something and they ride something....Birds is us! They ride on magic supported by.....branches. Oh darn."  
  
"Hey, this is a long shot, but don't their staffs look like branches?"  
  
"That's it! Jayde wants to use their staffs for something that we can ride on. They want to summon creatures for us to ride."  
  
"Yeah, but not for awhile, they still have to recover."  
  
Fuu nodded and returned to watching the path ahead of them

Jayde turned to face Clef, a bemused expression on her face.  
  
"Fuu is smart, she was able to figure out most of our code from just that short conversation."  
  
"Yes, she is extremely bright."  
  
"Hm, it's too bad that they have to go back once they've completed their task. She'd probably make a wonderful spell crafter."  
  
Clef nodded and they kept walking.

Hikaru and Umi were beginning to feel left out. Ferio was teaching Fuu to ride a horse and Jayde and Clef didn't talk much, but when they did it had to do with magic or they spoke very strangely, like those spies in a movie Hikaru had once seen, where they talked to each other in code. Then she could hear Jayde mutter something to Clef.  
  
"I think the red and blue birds are feeling lonely."  
  
Then Jayde walked up to them.  
  
"Hey Hikaru, hey Umi. I figured you probably wanted someone to talk to."  
  
Hikaru smiled.  
  
"Thanks, but don't you usually not like to talk?"  
  
"It's really the completely inane chatter that I don't like. I believe that you talk about at least slightly worthwhile things."  
  
"I guess so. Hey Jayde, what was with all that talk about birds?"  
  
"Well, Fuu already figured it out anyway, so telling you couldn't hurt too much. Clef and I came up with something of a code a while back, in case someone was following us and we wanted to discuss something that wasn't meant for the other person's ears. Birds means friends."  
  
"Neat! Could you teach it to me?"  
  
"No, I can't. People deserve privacy. Besides, there are some things that could possibly be dangerous for you to know."  
  
"Really? Like what?"  
  
"Hallucinogenic mushrooms, dangerous spells beyond your capabilities, that sort of stuff."  
  
"Oh, well, that's alright. I can always come up with my own."  
  
"Good, but I'd prefer you stay concentrated on the problems at hand, such as that monster approximately three yards ahead of us."  
  
"What?! Where? Where?"  
  
Jayde laughed.  
  
"Relax Hikaru, I was just making sure that you were paying attention."  
  
"Oh, okay then."  
  
So far Umi had been all but ignoring Jayde. She did a quick check of Umi's thoughts and sighed.  
  
"Umi, please, don't be jealous when there's nothing to be jealous of. Clef is my teacher, though I would go so far as to say he's almost my friend. I already know that you guys are his friends. If anything, you're closer to him then I am."  
  
Umi looked at her, scared and angry.  
  
"How do you know that?"  
  
Jayde looked down.  
  
"I'm sorry Umi, but I could easily feel that you were angry at me, and I wanted to know why. As soon as I found out, I stopped looking around. Please don't be mad."  
  
"You're a psychic?"  
  
"Only in the base capabilities. I can't send images or move things, I can only see people's thoughts and communicate with people."  
  
"Hmm. And who said I was jealous?"  
  
"You did."  
  
"Oh yeah."  
  
"I don't see why though, like I said, he considers you friends. I'm an apprentice."  
  
"I don't know either. I mean, it's really kind of stupid."  
  
Jayde smiled.  
  
"Good. Friends?"  
  
They shook hands.  
  
"Friends."  
  
Hikaru cheered, then stooped and gasped. Jayde looked up. It was an extremely large monster. Jayde held up her hands.  
  
"Everybody, get out of the way! Jade Ball!"  
  
Hikaru and Umi ran to where Fuu, Ferio, and Clef (and the horse) were. When Jayde cast her spell, they all saw a large green ball, that looked like it was made of stone, fly towards the monster and explode on impact. They all ducked as a wave of dust washed over them. As the dust cleared, they saw Jayde standing, holding her staff, and no monster, there were also a couple missing trees. Hikaru cheered.  
  
"Yeah! Go Jayde!"  
  
Jayde walked back over to them and Clef was the only one that caught the slight limp and the fact that she was relying heavily on her staff. As they started walking again, Clef whispered to her.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"I guess I was still feeling the after effects of the leech. I had a hard time controlling the size of the jade ball and where it hit. It exploded too close to the ground and sent a spray of debris."  
  
"Did anything hit you?"  
  
Jayde didn't answer. She just kept walking for a few more steps before she collapsed. The others all tried to get to her, but Clef told them to keep going. He'd heal her and they'd catch up. 

Once the others had started moving again, Clef rolled Jayde onto her back. It was then that he noticed the large cut in her robes. The edges were red with blood and the exposed flesh below was cut deep and bleeding freely. Clef removed all three layers of the cloak, but left the tunic. The cut was on her left side, the side that had faced away from him. He cast a healing/mending spell that would fix the cut quickly. It took almost three minutes, longer than it should have to heal what Clef could see. When it finished, Jayde tried to sit up, but yelped in pain and had to lay back down.  
  
"Clef, you did remember to check for shrapnel, didn't you?"  
  
Realizing his mistake, Clef blanched.  
  
"Don't worry Clef, I can take care of this. Just sit back and make sure I don't faint, okay?"  
  
Clef nodded, hoping she wasn't about to do what he thought she was. When she pulled a small dagger out of her belt, he knew that she was going to do it. The sliced open the newly healed wound and started digging around for shards.  
  
"Clef, don't you go getting sick. I'd use a spell but I don't exactly feel up to it at the moment."  
  
Jayde pulled out the last of the debris shards that she could find, and then looked at Clef.  
  
"Sorry, but I don't think I could handle any spells at the moment. Digging around in your own flesh isn't exactly a fun experience."  
  
Clef nodded and cast the spell again. Once it was stitched up Jayde ran into the forest. She came back a couple minutes later, with the blood washed off of her fingers.  
  
"I found a stream. Well, let's get going."  
  
As she summoned her hawk, Clef looked at her questioningly.  
  
"I don't want to walk at the moment, I'm feeling rather ill."  
  
Clef simply nodded and began to walk. Jayde saw how far ahead the others were and sighed, before grabbing Clef by the arm and hauling him up.  
"You'd never catch up to them on foot."  
  
The hawk took off , catching up to the others in under five minutes. Jayde let Clef off.  
  
"Hey guys, sorry we took so long, but Master Clef forgot to check for debris shards, so I had to reopen the wound and remove them myself. Well, I'm going to fly ahead and look for a good place to camp."  
  
Umi's mouth dropped.  
  
"You just did that, and you're hungry?"  
  
"Eww, don't be gross Umi. I'm just really tired."  
  
Jayde flew off, leaving the others to walk in grossed-out silence. After another ten minutes of walking they found Jayde, sound asleep in the middle of a clearing. While Ferio, Hikaru and Umi went to get firewood, Fuu set up the area for the fire and Clef set up the extra tent for Jayde. He placed her inside it and then closed it up and walked over to where Fuu was sitting, after finishing setting up the firepit. For awhile he sat, staring into space.  
  
"Um, mister Clef?"  
  
"Yes, Fuu?"  
  
"Jayde, is she alright?"  
  
"Yes, if she missed anything it's too small to be able to do any damage."  
  
"Yes, but she hasn't seemed very well all day."  
  
"It's because of the fever reducing spell she created. She had accidentally linked the leech that draws the energy for the spell to the both of us, instead of the element water, like she had meant to."  
  
"Ah. Mister Clef, if you were to equate her life span to mine, how old would she be?"  
  
"Jayde? Somewhere around 17, the same age as you."  
  
"She seems so young though."  
  
"Well, for the last hundred years, she kept thinking that she was ten, then she'd remain in that consciousness for four years, before her memory blanked and she was back to ten years old."  
  
"That's very strange."  
  
Clef simply nodded and returned to staring at nothing. Pretty soon the others returned with a large amount of firewood. They got the fire started and were soon cooking what little meat that Ferio had been able to catch. They had asked Clef to summon some food for them, like Jayde had, but he told them that summoning ordinary objects was actually a very rare ability, and Jayde was probably the only living Cephian that had such extreme control of it. So they settled for what they could find and catch, most of them wondering what else Jayde was gifted at. After a while, they could hear muffled yelling. After listening for a couple seconds, they could make out most of the words.  
  
"Master Clef you.....Once I get this.....lock spell undone you are in so much......trouble. Do you hear me Master Clef!? I know you.....can, I've gotten most of that spell already! Oh, when I get........out of here, I will be shooting......jade balls all over the........place!"  
  
Clef sighed, He'd been afraid that she'd been in a bad mood when she woke up. It wasn't until she had flown ahead that he had realized that they had forgotten her cloak. Meanwhile, all three of the magic knights, who could tell what words were still being blanked, were all blushing to some degree.  
"My, I hadn't realized that Jayde had such an....extensive vocabulary."  
  
Umi raised an eyebrow.  
  
"If someone in my school said something like that, they'd get detention."  
  
"At my house, she'd get her mouth washed out with soap."  
  
Umi looked at Hikaru, eyebrow still raised.,/P

After awhile, Jayde had calmed down and stopped swearing, so Clef undid the rest of the spell. Unfortunately, Jayde had done such a thorough job of trashing it that it took a while. Once she was out, she walked over to the fire and sat down next to Clef.  
B"I can't believe that you forgot my cloak."  
Clef nodded and Jayde's eyes narrowed slightly.  
"The least you could do is....No, never mind."  
  
"What, Jayde?"  
"Well, you'd never agree to it, but I would like you to apologize. I'd only had it back for what, two, three days?"  
  
Clef nodded again, then looked Jayde straight in the face.  
B"I apologize for forgetting your cloak."  
  
Fuu could swear that even the bugs were silent for a moment. None of them had thought he'd do it. True, he could be kind at times, but him actually apologizing was quite unexpected. Jayde had to fight off a blush (_Why am I blushing?_) and grinned.  
  
"Apology accepted, Master Clef."  
  



	4. Chapter 4

That night, Jayde laid in the tent, unable to sleep. Clef had insisted that she get the tent that night, because she didn't have her cloak. Jayde thought back to when they had been sitting at the campfire.  
  
_Why did I almost blush when he apologized? It doesn't make sense. Master Clef is not only my teacher, but the highest ranking mage in Cephiro. I guess I was just embarrassed by such an important person actually apologizing to me like that. Still, it's odd, I didn't feel embarrassed. Ugh, if I keep thinking about this, I'll never get to sleep. Besides, Fuu told me about what Umi had done last time, and Master Clef's reaction. He doesn't seem to really think much of it. *sigh* I've got to get to sleep, they're gonna be hungry in the morning._  
  
Clef was sleeping, back against a tree. Ferio watched him from his spot on the other side of the camp, closer to the fire and the girls' tents.  
  
_Y'know, I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if he had absolutely no idea how many girls liked him. Completely oblivious to anything that doesn't have to do with spells and magic._

Sometime around 5 AM, Ferio and Clef were awakened by a loud crashing noise. Soon, multiple crashes were heard, and Ferio quickly woke the magic knights and Clef woke Jayde. The thing causing the crashes was a giant monster. Clef and Jayde could sense something wrong about it. Jayde turned to face Clef.  
  
"They're powering it, aren't they?"  
  
Clef nodded in reply. Their latest enemies had imbued the monster with a portion of their power, causing it to be much, much stronger than any normal monster. Clef saw that all four of the girls were still very tired, and would be near useless in battle, plus Ferio's sword wouldn't be of much help, it was too strong to go into close-range combat with.  
  
"I will fight it. You girls are still half-asleep and swords will be of no use against it."  
  
Jayde tried to protest, but Clef held up his hand and Jayde stopped. Clef walked closer, so that he wouldn't have to worry about anything hitting the others. Clef and the monster fought for a while, Clef firing attacks and the monster swinging it's giant paws. Unfortunately, the monster got a good hit in and sent Clef sprawling. Umi, Hikaru, and Fuu stood in stunned silence as the monster reared back for the final blow. Jayde didn't.  
  
"CLEF!"  
  
Jayde was crying, she didn't think that he would make it out of this alive, no matter how much she wished that he could. Suddenly, the jade on her head band began to glow. A beam of light shot out from it and encased Clef. He was teleported to the air directly above Jayde and she caught him. This snapped the knights out of their stunned state, and they began fighting the monster. Meanwhile, Jayde carefully removed Clef's cloak and slowly began to heal him. She started with broken bones, then did a deep healing spell, in case there were any internal injuries. As she finished that spell, Clef began coughing. Jayde helped support him until he stopped and laid back down. Jayde could see a few flecks of blood in the early morning light.  
  
_I guess he had a puncture in his lung._  
  
Clef was conscious after the coughing fit, and looked up at Jayde.  
  
"Thank you....for saving me."  
  
"Clef, you shouldn't talk. I've taken care of the more serious injuries, but you are still wounded and weakened and I will not take any chances."  
  
Clef smiled slightly and laid his head back on the ground. Jayde finished healing Clef, but he was still weak from the battle. She refused to let him stand, and she sat next to him to keep him from getting annoyed by her restrictions.  
  
"Jayde, how did you do it?"  
  
"Do what, Master Clef?"  


"Save me."  
  
"I'm not sure. I didn't want you to die, and I think I began crying....Then a green light shot out of my headband and somehow transported you to where I was."  
  
"Ah."  
  
Clef looked at Jayde.  
  
"I am glad that you have such a strong will. If you didn't, I would have died today."  
  
Jayde managed a weak smile and turned back to watch the battle just as the magic knights defeated the monster. Jayde and Hikaru helped support Clef as the walked, since they were closer to his height. No one said a word until they had set up camp, when Jayde congratulated the magic knights on defeating the monster and they all thanked her for saving their friend Clef.

Once again, Jayde had made Clef sleep in the tent, while she slept outside.. Jayde sat, leaning against a tree and watching the dying embers of the camp fire when Clef walked over to her, leaning heavily on his staff.  
  
"Master Clef, you should be laying down."  
  
"Jayde, something is obviously troubling you. What is it?"  
  
"Nothing for you to worry about. Now go back to bed, I don't have the strength for another healing spell."  
  
"Jayde, as your master I ask you to tell me."  
  
Jayde sighed.  
  
"If I tell you, do you promise to go back to bed?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, I'm afraid that I've fallen in love with a man who will never feel the same about me. There, I've told you. Now go back to bed."  
  
Clef nodded and left. Jayde watched him and sighed, then laid down to try and fall asleep.  
  
~Dream~  
  
It was the battle from that morning, but not. It was only Jayde, Clef, and the monster on the battlefield. Clef had put a restraining spell on Jayde to keep her from getting involved in the battle. Jayde couldn't look away as the monster mercilessly continued to beat Clef, who didn't seem to be able to use any magic. Jayde watched as the monster slammed it's giant paw down on Clef, and an audible snap was heard. The monster lifted it's paw and Jayde saw Clef, his broken body surrounded by blood.  
  
~End of Dream~  
  
Jayde woke screaming and found someone covering her mouth and helping her sit up. It was Clef. Jayde couldn't control herself and clung to him, sobbing pitifully. Once she began to calm down, she let go and hugged her knees to her chest, keeping her head down.  
  
"I...I'm sorry for waking you, Master Clef."  
  
"Jayde, you kept calling out my name in your sleep. What happened?"  
  
"It was the battle all over again, but the knights and Ferio weren't there. You had placed some sort of restraining spell on me to keep me out of the battle and...the monster...it killed you...It smashed you and when it moved it's paw....I could see you and...there was...there was so much blood..."

Jayde began crying again, pulling her knees close to her. Clef put his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Jayde, I'm alive, you saved me. Don't cry."  
  
Jayde calmed down and leaned back against the tree, trying to go to sleep. Clef stood up and walked back to his tent, deep in thought.  
  
_In all the years that Jayde has been my pupil, I have never seen her get so upset over anything. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen her cry before, even when she received the news that her family had been murdered. Although, she had once told me that she wasn't very close to her family. But still, she didn't cry for them, and yet she cried because she had a nightmare about me being killed. _  
  
Clef decided to leave off thinking about it until the morning, and fell asleep. On the other side of the camp, Ferio bore silent witness to what had just happened. Jayde's cries had woken him, and he had been about to go wake her up when Clef walked over to her. Ferio had decided to watch, and see what happened. Once Clef had gone back into his tent, Ferio leaned back against his tree.  
  
_What a horrible nightmare, poor kid. And doubly so for her, I can't believe she told him about falling in love with someone and he hasn't put it together yet. Like I said, totally oblivious to anything that doesn't have to do with magic._  
  
Suddenly he felt a strange pain in his head. Almost immediately he realized two things. One, the pain was actually anger that was being directed at him and two, Jayde had listened to his thoughts.  
  
_Damn._  
  
_Ferio, don't you ever say such things about Master Clef.  
  
Even when they're true?_  
  
Ferio felt her anger flare, but she didn't reply.  
  
_Jayde, it is true. I figure someone already told you about Umi. He realized what her feelings were, but he didn't do anything about them.  
  
You're wrong, Ferio. You're so very, very wrong._  
  
Ferio could sense her sadness.  
  
_What do you mean Jayde?  
  
He said thank you to her. He realized what she felt and thanked her, because she had made him aware that it was possible for people to think of him that way. He just doesn't think of other people that way, which is why he didn't do anything else... And why I know it's hopeless, but I just can't help it.  
  
Why do you love him so much, anyway?  
  
So many reasons. We are alike in some aspects, but quite different in others. We both like quiet, but have rather different methods of experimenting with magic. His is study and small experiments, mine is seeing how far you can push it until it explodes and leaves you unconscious for a week. For me, it isn't a success if it doesn't leave me unconscious for at least a couple of days.  
  
That's a little frightening.  
  
Yes, I do feel kind of bad for what I put Master Clef through back then. Once, I actually blew up half of his house.  
  
_Ferio could hear her laughter, and also began laughing.  


_Oh no! What'd he do to you?  
  
Oh, nothing much, just made me manually repair it, plus I had to replace anything that I destroyed that wasn't mine.  
  
Ouch. So is that it? Is that the entire reason you like Clef so much?  
  
Oh no, that's just a funny story that I haven't had the chance to tell anyone that'd appreciate it. You know, I can't put it into words, why I like him so much. I've come to know him, only a little bit, but that's as much as anyone can know about him without him sitting down and actually telling you all about him, which he'd never do. I guess the best answer is that I just do. We understand each other, however slightly, on a weird level. He can almost anticipate what I'll try next in an experiment and then tell me a safer way to do the same thing. I don't think I ever took his advice though. Well, I'm tired, but thank you for talking with me.  
  
You're welcome Jayde. I'll talk to you again in the morning. And as for Clef, I realize that you'll probably always love him, but if you're sure that nothing will come of it, don't be afraid to keep an eye out for a different guy. A heart is a terrible thing to waste.  
  
_Ferio could hear Jayde giggle.  
  
_And who are you to be giving such advice?  
  
Oh, no one much. Just a prince.  
  
What?! Wait, no, I should have realized it. Well, I'll see you in the morning._  
  
The two fell asleep, and only one person remained awake. The telepathic conversation had woken him up, and he had listened. He laid awake, staring up at the roof of he tent. He was in the middle of mentally banging his head against a wall.  
  
_I should have anticipated this. I should have realized that something like this would happen. *bang bang* No wonder she became so upset over that nightmare. I can't believe I didn't realize this earlier. *bang bang* I had never thought that she had liked me before she disappeared. Wait, why am I worrying about this so much? She's still my pupil, and knowing her, she'll keep her actions in check, so there's no reason to worry. _  
  
Reassuring himself with that thought, Clef fell back asleep.

The next morning, once they were traveling again, Jayde heard something moving around in the bushes behind her. It was making a lot of noise, so she figured it had to be human. She turned around and reached her staff towards it, and the beak of her staff snagged on something. She pulled it up and brought an oversized hat with it.  
  
"Hey! That's my hat! Give it back!"  
  
Jayde grinned.  
  
"Only if you tell me who you are."  
  
"Give me the hat, and I will."  
  
"Promise?"  
  
"Promise."  
  
"Good."  
  
Jayde held the hat over the bush and a hand grabbed it. A moment later, a man stepped out onto the path. Hikaru recognized him immediately.  
  
"Ascot! What are you doing here?"  
  
Ascot smiled slightly.  
  
"I was sent to look for you guys."  
  
Ascot turned to face Jayde.  
  
"Who are you? You aren't familiar."  
  
"I'm Jayde, and I can and will hurt you if provoked. That's all you really need to know about me."  
  
Clef rolled his eyes, she used to say that to anyone that had come to him for teaching while she'd been his apprentice before she disappeared. The magic knights were confused by Jayde's statement, but Ferio started laughing. A tiny jade ball appeared in Jayde's hand.  
  
"Hey Ferio, catch!"  
  
Ferio's stopped laughing just in time to see a tiny green ball flying straight at him.  
  
_Crap._  
  
Ferio squeezed his eyes shut and waited for it to hit him. He heard Jayde laugh and opened his eyes. The jade ball was hovering just centimeters from his face.  
  
"Guess it's a good thing that I've been practicing, huh Ferio?"  
  
Ferio gulped and nodded. Jayde recalled the jade ball and started tossing it around. Clef sighed.  
  
"Jayde, someday one of those things will blow up in your face."  
  
Jayde grinned and gave him a sideways glance.  
  
"I know. I kind of miss waking up after being unconscious for a week."  
  
Clef sighed again and they continued walking, Ascot up in front talking to Hikaru and Umi.

They came across a few weaker monsters, which were easily destroyed. They set up camp just before dusk, and Jayde ended up sitting next to Ascot.  
  
"Hey, Ascot. Sorry about this morning, I didn't know that you were a friend."  
  
"That's ok. You know, I've never seen you before."  
  
"That's because I was stuck in another world for the last century. If you want the full story, go ask someone else, I'm getting tired of telling it."  
  
Ascot laughed.  
  
"I'll find out later. You seem pretty close to Clef."  
  
"Yeah, so?"  
  
"Well, it's crazy of me to think this, but do you like each other?"  
  
Jayde sighed.  


"You're right, it is crazy of you. It's one-sided. I like him, but I realize that he'd never feel the same, so I just act like I always have."  
  
"Wow, this is kind of weird."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well, we're in the same predicament. You like Clef, I like Umi, Umi likes Clef, and as far as I know, Clef doesn't care."  
  
"No, he does care. In fact, I've never seen him as affectionate around Umi as anyone he's ever met while in my company."  


"Wow, so the two people we like, like each other."  
  
"Yeah, strange. Well, I guess we'll have to stick together then. Two hopeless kids, who've already realized that the person they love, loves someone else."  


Ascot smiled.  
  
"A miserable existence, but at least not a lonely one."  
  
They both laughed a bit at that, then returned to eating their dinner.


	5. Chapter 5

In the next week, things began to heat up. They had to battle quite a few strong monsters, along with one of the new evil leader's minions. They made it out alive, and Jayde and Fuu's healing spells were very helpful. The next month was even worse, defeating the rest of the evil minions, along with a small army of villagers that were being controlled. On top of this, there were the regular forest monsters and the more powerful monsters that became more plentiful the closer they got to the their true enemy's fortress. They had learned that his name was Lennacs.

Eventually, they made it in. Lennacs himself was waiting for them, and the fight began right away. The magic knights launched at him, using both magic and their swords. Fuu had told Ferio to stay out of the fight, she didn't want him to get hurt. Clef, Jayde, and Ascot were launching spells at him from a safe distance away. Suddenly, The magic knights were all flung to the wall behind the sorcerers, hitting it with a sickening smack. Ferio ran back to make sure they were alive while Clef and the others continued firing on Lennacs. Lennacs fired on them a couple times, amused at their efforts, though Jayde's jade balls did have some effect. Eventually, he got bored, and decided to attack the girl that actually managed to sting him with those little balls she kept throwing at him. He picked up a couple pieces of broken stone that littered the floor and threw them at Jayde. One shaved her forehead, a few small ones ripped up her robes (She had summoned new ones a while ago), and one large one punched a hole right through the left side of her chest. Jayde fell back, and the other two continued firing, trying to defeat the creature that had apparently killed four of their friends. 

Jayde coughed a couple times, and tried to stand back up. The cut on her head was bleeding profusely, along with the wound that had narrowly missed her heart. She wasn't able to stand, so kneeled on one knee and supported herself with her staff. She looked around and saw the destruction that Lennacs had caused. She also saw that the magic knights were conscious, but not in any shape to fight. Ferio knew that he was useless in this battle, and Clef and Ascot were trying their hardest, but weren't faring to well. Seeing Lennacs preparing for another attack, her eyes narrowed. She remembered a spell from long ago, when she had just been starting out as Master Clef's apprentice.  
  
"I will not allow you to hurt my friends!"  
  
Jayde raised her staff high above her head, and smiled. The others could see the main jewel in her staff begin to glow with a white light. Suddenly, Clef remembered something from long ago.  
  
~Memory~  
  
"Master Clef, I have a spell, but I can't use it."  
  
"What do you mean, Jayde?"  
  
"I had a dream, and it gave me the spell. It's very powerful."  
  
"And why can't you use it?"  
  
"Because if I did, I would die."  
  
~End of Memory~  
  
"Jayde! No!"  
  
As Jayde sent the white light streaming towards Lennacs, the magic knights and the others could hear her voice.  
  
"I'm sorry Master Clef, but I must disobey you one last time. Umi, you and Master Clef be happy, you two belong together. Hikaru, Fuu, don't cry, I do this out of love. Ferio, be kind to Fuu. Ascot, some day, you will find someone special."  
  
Suddenly, there was an explosion, and both Lennacs and Jayde were gone. The magic knights, Ferio, and Ascot stood shocked, but Clef didn't. He slammed his fist into the ground.  
  
"Foolish girl. She knew how much Cephiro needs spellcrafters and she goes and uses that spell. She knew the consequences!"  
  
Umi put her hand on Clef's shoulder.  
  
"Clef, you know that isn't true. She gave her life for Cephiro, for us."  
  
Clef nodded and the group slowly began to walk away when Ascot tuned around. The others all watched him as he walked to where Jayde had been and bent down. He carefully picked something up and walked back over to the others, and they all gasped. It was Jayde's headband. Ascot kept it firmly in his grip as they walked back to the castle.

  
~Epilogue~  
  
The magic knights were all present at Jayde's funeral, along with Clef, Ferio, Ascot, and quite a few others. The story of the battle had spread quickly, and everyone that was able to come had shown up. Since there was no body to bury, they had built a small memorial, and had placed her headband in a glass case on the memorial. Below that, some words, the summarized version of the battle, had been engraved, along with a few quotes that Clef had chosen. There were three;  
  
"I'm Jayde, and I can hurt you. That's all you need to know about me",  
  
"For me, it isn't a success if it doesn't leave me unconscious for at least a couple of days",  
  
And "So what if Jade balls explode easily? They're really fun to juggle."

The others thanked Clef for choosing those quotes, they really showed what Jayde had been like. The five of them returned to the castle once the service was over. Hikaru was the first one to speak.  
  
"Wow, it's still so weird. I got so used to her being around, and suddenly, she's just not there."  
  
Umi nodded.  
  
"Yeah, it's hard to come to grips with it. She was so lively. Even if she didn't talk much, you could always tell that she was there."  
  
Ferio sat down next to Fuu and added his piece.  
  
"Yeah, she was really nice, even if a bit rough. Sometimes, when it was late, we'd talk telepathically. I can't do it on my own, but she was able to make it so that we could. She believed very strongly in quite a few things."  
  
Fuu looked up at him.  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Well, for one thing, she was adamant that Clef knew what others thought of him, even if he didn't show it."  
  
Ascot nodded at that.  
  
"Yeah. It was pretty weird, me and her actually had quite a bit in common."  
  
Umi looked at him.  
  
"How so?"  
  
"Well, she liked Clef, and I... like you, and we both knew that it was hopeless. We became friends through that. Like I had told her a while ago, a miserable existence, but at least not a lonely one."  
  
Umi smiled slightly, she was glad that he had finally come out and said that he liked her. It had been obvious for a long time, but he never actually said anything.  
  
Hikaru looked at Clef. He'd barely said anything after the battle. He was sitting in a chair, looking down.  
  
"Hey Clef, are you alright?"  
  
"I'm fine, Hikaru."  
  
"Well you don't look it. Something's obviously troubling you."  
  
Clef looked up at them, and they could all see his sadness.  
  
"I don't know, it's just strange, as you said. She was my apprentice for only a small amount of time, by Cephiro's standards anyway, when she disappeared. After a decade or so, I figured that she had been killed somehow. Then, she suddenly arrived with you three and I had my apprentice back. I had gotten used to having her around again, having someone who understood magic on a higher level than most people, then she was gone again, and this time she won't be able to come back."  
  
Hikaru looked sad for a moment, as did all the others, but then she brightened up.  
  
"Clef, couldn't the pillar bring her back? If she was killed, couldn't the pillar do that?"  
  
Clef shook his head.  
  
"No, you see, she wasn't killed, she didn't exactly die, though we'll never see her again."  


Fuu looked at Clef.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Before her headband was put in it's case, I looked at it. She had left the workings of the spell in there, so that I could see how it worked. That spell she used, which she never named and I don't plan on naming either, is very different than any widely used spells out there. Instead of drawing on an element, it draws directly off of the person's spirit. She put her whole being into that last spell, using her best strength, herself, to destroy Lennacs. In doing so, Jayde ceased to exist, though she never really died."  
  
"Wow, I had no idea."  
  
Clef smiled slightly at Fuu.  
  
"Neither did I, until I saw that. She created the spell, unknowingly, not long after she became my apprentice. She had just woken up, and told me of a powerful spell that her dream had given her. She said that she couldn't use it because it would kill her."  
  
Hikaru nodded.  
  
"Yeah, dreams can be helpful and horrible, all at the same time. I can't even count how many times my dreams have given me warnings or information."

The magic knights left again, not long after that meeting. They promised to come back, each for their own reasons. 


	6. Chapter 6

Hey, Kat-chan here. Wow, I did not plan on that ending. I'm also sorry about having it end so quickly, but I didn't feel a need to write a bunch of fighting scenes, since they all turned out basically the same. Well, I'm not going to make this entire section just author's notes, that would just be boring. I'm just gonna do a quick little rant, then I'll give you another little epilogue thingie, about when the magic knights are all grown up.  
  
Well, I hope you liked my fic. Yeesh, once again my writing has twisted towards dark and depressing. It's so annoying. I originally tried writing humor, but those just kind of sucked, so I wrote whatever came to me, and everything just started twisting towards dark and depressing. Almost no matter how I start a fic, it'll end up being at least a little dark. It's really annoying. Well, end of mini-rant. Now for the second little epilogue thingie.  


The woman smiled as she walked, carrying a two year old girl in her arms. It was still hard to believe that not only was she a mother, but she lived in Cephiro, the land that had changed her so much. In Cephiro was where she had been changed from a spoiled rich girl into what she was now; a caring mother of two children. A boy, who was five, and her two year old daughter. She remembered hers and her husband's shock when their daughter had been born. She had blue hair and purple eyes. Now, that wouldn't have been strange, except for the fact that they were the exact shade of an old friend's hair and eyes. Umi had immediately chosen a name for her; Jayde. For almost a year and a half, Jayde had seemed like any normal child, but one day, not long before her second birthday, Umi had found her sitting in her crib, playing with a small green ball that seemed to be made out of stone. Umi carefully picked up the ball and brought it to Clef. It was a Jade ball. They had both been shaken, but then Umi smiled.  
  
"Well, I'm glad. Jayde had been a very promising person, and very kind. Perhaps our Jayde will be the same. And I'm also sure that you wouldn't mind having Jayde back either."  
  
"Yes but still, how is it possible? Jayde gave up her entire being in that last attack, there's no way."  
  
"Clef, if there's one thing I've learned in Cephiro, it's that anything is possible."


End file.
